Related Concept Videos

Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity02:24

Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity

It is essential to understand the difference between chiral and achiral interactions and the implications thereof in optical activity and their applications. Just as our feet, which are chiral, interact uniquely with chiral objects, such as a pair of shoes, but identically with achiral socks, enantiomers of a molecule exhibit different properties only when they interact with other chiral media. An example of a significant implication from this facet is the phenomenon known as optical activity,...
Sharpless Epoxidation02:57

Sharpless Epoxidation

The conversion of allylic alcohols into epoxides using the chiral catalyst was discovered by K. Barry Sharpless and is known as Sharpless epoxidation. The use of a chiral catalyst enables the formation of one enantiomer of the product in excess. This chiral catalyst is mainly a chiral complex of titanium tetraisopropoxide and tartrate ester (specific stereoisomer). The stereoisomer used in the chiral catalyst dictates the formation of the enantiomer of the product. In other words, the use of...
Structure and Nomenclature of Epoxides02:38

Structure and Nomenclature of Epoxides

Cyclic ethers are heterocyclic compounds with an oxygen atom in the ring along with carbon atoms. They are named depending on the number of carbon atoms present in their ring system. Cyclic ethers with a three-membered ring system are called “oxirane”, four-membered ring systems as “oxetane”, five-membered ring systems as “oxolane”, and six-membered ring systems as “oxane”. The cyclic structure of these rings imposes angle strain, and this strain is more in the ring having a smaller number of...
UV–Vis Spectroscopy: Woodward–Fieser Rules01:29

UV–Vis Spectroscopy: Woodward–Fieser Rules

UV–Visible absorption spectra of conjugated dienes arise from the lowest energy π → π* transitions. The light-absorbing part of the molecule is called the chromophore, and the substituents directly attached to the chromophore are called auxochromes. A strong correlation exists between the absorption maxima, λmax, and the structure of a conjugated π system. The Woodward–Fieser rules predict the value of λmax for a given structure by adding the contributions...
Stereoisomerism02:52

Stereoisomerism

Isomerism in Complexes
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula.
Transition metal complexes often exist as geometric isomers, in which the same atoms are connected through the same types of bonds but with differences in their orientation in space. Coordination complexes with two different ligands in the cis and trans positions from a ligand of interest form isomers. For example, the octahedral [Co(NH3)4Cl2]+ ion has two isomers (Figure 1) In the cis...
Physical Properties of Ethers02:17

Physical Properties of Ethers

Overview
An ether molecule has a net dipole moment due to the polarity of C–O bonds. Subsequently, boiling points of ethers are lower than those of alcohols of comparable molecular weight and slightly higher than those of hydrocarbons of comparable molecular weight (Table 1).
Ethers can act as hydrogen bond acceptors, making them more water-soluble than hydrocarbons, but since ethers cannot act as hydrogen bond donors, they are much less soluble in water than alcohols. Ethers are considered...